AG directs arrest of eight including Avant Garde Chairman Senadhipathi

• Says no hindrance to arrest accused five whose FR petitions were rejected by SC
• Wants three others questioned and produced in court
• Senadhipathi and another gone overseas without court permission
• AG requests progress report by Monday from Acting IGP

The Attorney General yesterday directed the Acting Inspector General of Police to immediately arrest and produce in court eight suspects including Avant Garde Maritime Services Ltd. (AGMS) Chairman Nissanka Yapa Senadhipathi. 

The others named in the letter sent to the Acting IGP are Major General (Rtd.) Waduge Palitha Piyasiri Fernando, Major General (Rtd.) Karunaratna Banda Adhikari Egodawele, Rtd. Commodore Vishvajith Nandana Diyabalanage, National Police Commission Secretary and Ministry of Defence former Senior Additional Secretary Saman Dissanayake, Rtd. Air Vice Marshall P.B. Premachandra, Ministry of Defence former Senior Additional Secretary D.M.S. Damayanthi Jayaratne and Rakna Lanka Chairman Victor Samaraweera.

In his letter the AG said that the Supreme Court has declared null the petitions filed by five of the defendants challenging their arrest. The CID had reported to the AG that on 4 July, two of the defendants namely Nissanka Senadhipathi and Nandana Diyabalanage had left the country before the SC delivered its judgment on the FR applications.

The suspects are facing charges under the Firearms Ordinance and Explosives Act. These are in relations to 813 unlicensed automatic weapons and 200,935 live ammunitions found on Ship M.V. Avant Garde.

In addition to this three of the suspects, namely Senadhipathi, Premachandra and Saman Dissanayake stand accused of falsifying evidence for which they face charges under the Penal Code.

The AG said that as the SC had rejected their FR petitions of five of the accused, there is no hindrances to arresting them.

In relations to three others, namely Premachandra, Jayaratne and Samaraweera, the AG has instructed that their statements be recorded, named as suspects and produced before the relevant Magistrate.

The AG has directed that a report be submitted to him by Monday on the progress made with regards to his directive.

The AG also instructs to name P.B. Premachandra, Damayanthi Jayaratne and Victor Samaraweera as suspects, proceed according to the provisions of the Penal Code Ordinance, record their statements and produce them before court as suspects without delay.

The AG also instructs to report the progress with regard to this before 8 July.